[intelligentintentions]

1 | Use background noise when you study 

Using websites like Coffitivity and RainyMood while you study help to drown out other ambient noises in your study space and keep you focused on the task at hand

2 | Use lists to organize yourself

Any time you have something to do, get out a scratch pad and write down every step. When you complete a step, check it off! It produces a sense of accomplishment that helps with motivation

3 | Start as soon as you get home

You don’t have to do everything right away, but start off by completing one small task right away. You could even just start an assignment for 5-10 minutes and be done, but you might find that once you’ve started, you might as well finish

4 | Decorate your study space

Having a neat and pretty looking space helps to improve your mood and therefore your focus. Use pictures or bright colors to help you stay on task and remind yourself why you do what you do

5 | Make sure that you have good light

It’s so hard to stay awake and alert in dim light. Sit by a window or in a quiet outdoor space during the day or invest in a quality lamp if you study at night

6 | Turn off your computer monitor

If you use your computer for music while studying you might find yourself browsing to other sites and getting distracted. Turning off your monitor will keep the music or background noise playing while eliminating your ability to check social media all the time

7 | Wear appropriate study clothes

Avoid pajamas at all costs! Studying in your pajamas makes you tired because it’s your body’s signal to sleep. Instead wear something comfortable (loose jeans, leggings, a nice t-shirt, a loose dress) so that your body knows its time to get stuff done!

8 | Sticky notes are your friend

Anytime you want to remember something? Sticky note. Have a question? Make it a sticky note and put it on your notes. Need motivation? Put stuff on sticky notes. Don’t have a lot of time to study? Put problems on sticky notes by the fridge, your computer, door, etc so you’re constantly studying.

9 | Use a study scent

When you are ready to study, spray a particular scent (preferably something fresh and energizing). After a while whenever you smell that scent, you’ll get into that study zone automatically and get more done

10 | Don’t dwell on things

Confused? Use the 1-5-10 rule. Spend 1 minute figuring out your strategy. Where can you find the information? Who can help you? Spend 5 minutes trying by yourself with no distractions. If you are stuck for 10 minutes, move on to your next task and come back later with a fresh mind.

[intelligentintentions]

[ 12 / 100 ] ugh I just love ap stats too much 💚 just studied for a chapter 2 reading quiz and kept adding to my college apps!

[intelligentintentions]

[ 11 / 100 ] I've gotten into a bad habit of watching TV when I get home instead of doing my homework right away.... ugh. Here's to more productive days in the future!

[intelligentintentions]

[ 10 / 100 ] such a busy weekend! homecoming was awesome and everyone looked amazing so that was 10/10. homework wise i didn’t have much to do except study for my chem quiz and first AP stats test! now i just have to get my stuff together for monday and plan my bujo spread for the week!

[intelligentintentions]

[ 9 / 100 ] why is it that physics looks so simple but as soon as I look at a problem I have no idea what I'm doing

[intelligentintentions]

[ 8 / 100 ] today my physics teacher said that if we got over 50% on our problem sets then he would round it up to full credit - not sure if I should be glad or extremely afraid.... anyways, got some chem and stats done so I feel accomplished 👐

[intelligentintentions]

[ 7 / 100 ] forgot to post this yesterday, oops! Anyways yesterday was hella productive 😎 Finishes my stats problem sets, ate lunch while reading another chapter of my book, bought my friend some super cute b day presents and prepared for a meeting I have on Thursday, talk about being proactive eh?

[intelligentintentions]

[ 6 / 100 ] sooooooo, this might just be my favorite bujo spread ever. it’s my school’s homecoming week so i thought i’d make a school spirit themed spread <3 besides planning out my week, i also got to go to a festival today with the cousins and grandparents so that was 10/10

[studeity]

2-04-2016 // 2:22pm Summarised Marketing notes on strategic planning! :^) I may have summarised things a little too much.. but rest assured I have made more in-depth notes~

[intelligentintentions]

[ 5 / 100 ] Made some serious progress on my college apps today! Submitted my U of M app and am basically done with Common App - just have to write two more essays and send in my test scores

bonus spontaneous apple picking trip today too 🍎😁🍁🍂❤

[sachisays]

If anyone ever mocks you for studying so much, ignore them. 

If anyone ever feels offended that you’re prioritizing school work over them, don’t worry about them.

If anyone ever makes you feel less than because you’re “not doing as much as” them, don’t compare yourself to them.

You’re working as hard as you can, and no one can tell you otherwise. Don’t let anyone make you feel less than for doing your best.

[intelligentintentions]

[ 4 / 100 ] Lazy day but still managed to finish reading some macroeconomics. tbh I spend most of my time on college apps....ugh. they’re just so frustrating, you know? anyways, at least i have my letters of rec sorted out and my transcript request forms filled out!

[intelligentintentions]

[ 3/100 ] today wasn’t exactly the most productive day but I did get some ap macroeconomics reading done and completed more of my dot to dot page!

[intelligentintentions]

[ 2 / 100 ] another quiz coming up in AP Stats! Gotta love categorical data amirite? Anyways I'm pleased with how this turned out, but I wish I could get my hands on some less fluorescent highlighters...

[intelligentintentions]

08.30.2016 | a space themed bujo spread to get me through the week. 

p.s. i’m in love with my new periodic table washi tape ♥ ♥ ♥

[intelligentintentions]

[ 1/ 100 ] I'm starting the 100 days of productivity challenge! These are some AP Physics notes about metric conversions in preparation for my Thursday quiz!

[intelligentintentions]

Taking notes from a textbook takes practice. If you find yourself struggling, these are my top tips for reading textbooks efficiently.

Use an outline note format | Outlining simply means that you use headings and sub-points to organize your notes. For example, write down the chapter title and use bullet points beneath it. When you get to a heading, write down the headings and continue note taking. Indent your bullets when the text begins to elaborate on existing information and giving more explanation and examples.

Use highlighters effectively | Different subjects require different highlighter use. In subjects like history or social studies, assign a specific purpose to each color highlighter. For example, important people are in yellow, important places in pink, important events in blue, important dates in orange. You can be more or less detailed if you want. This allows you to quickly find the information you need when studying.

For subjects like science and math, use hierarchical highlighting. What I mean by this is use one color for broad concept vocabulary words (ex. “Standard Deviation”). Then use another color for more specific vocab words that build off of that broad concept. (ex. “Variance”). Then use another color for any specific concepts related to the previous word. For example, I might highlight the equation for variance in orange. This method helps me organize mindmaps because I know that my first color concepts are going to be the main ideas while the colors afterwards are the details.

Use your resources | Nowadays many textbooks have gone beyond just simply writing full pages of plain text and include more graphics and infographics. When your text includes things like pictures, charts, or highlights key vocab words in the margins, use those concepts to guide your notetaking. Obviously the concepts that pertain to those things are the most important.

Manage your time | If your teacher assigns you reading that is going to take you more time than you have or if you are behind on your reading, simply focus on three things: bolded vocab words, headings, and graphics. Instead of reading every word on the page, look for these things and focus solely on them. This will save you time while giving you enough general understanding to get what’s going on in class. Be sure to take a closer look later if you have time, though!

When you can, get ahead | I find it much more helpful to have read the chapter or assigned reading before it’s actually assigned. This is because typically classes and texts usually go from broad to specific. I usually get lost in the broad concepts, so learning the specific examples and applications that we tend to learn at the end of the unit at the beginning of the unit keeps me from getting confused.

Draw or print off images | Like I said before, pictures and diagrams in your text are there for a reason: they help focus you on important concepts and help to clarify the information. Always copy these graphs and images into your notes. If you aren’t good at drawing, find a similar graphic online and print it off to tape into your notes so you can reference it later.

Online videos and audio | If you find that you get distracted while reading textbooks and simply can’t get through it, look online on Youtube and other sites for online versions and lectures on the textbook. You can usually find an audio version or videos of teachers physically going through each chapter which is much more engaging and can help auditory learners.

Include practice problems | For subjects like math, science, and economics where you do calculations, do a practice problem using the equation or concept you are taking notes on. You can write it directly on the page or on a post it note and place it on the page so you have a reference of how the calculation is actually used and what a properly done one looks like.

xo Kirsten